Your Fat Tuesday & Mardi Gras Guide

[Amanda-Arcangel]

Over the years, when celebrating Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, the three B's come to mind: booze, beads, and boobs, but there is much more to the holiday than what meets the eye!

Since 1875, Christians would eat, drink, and be merry before kicking off the Lent season. Non-religious celebrants partake in sinful behaviors, i.e. drinking all day or eating one too many slices of King’s Cake!

You don't have to be in New Orleans to celebrate Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras! Learn how to celebrate in your city, home, at work etc. below.

1. Beads

Photo Source: eluniversalsanantonio.mx

Believe it or not, Mardi Gras beads were never meant for topless women! When the bead tradion first began, the necklaces were supposed to be tossed to those who exhibited the true meaning of the Mardi Gras colors.

2. Masks

Photo Source: etsy.com

The detailed accessory has become a holiday staple for everyone involved in the Mardi Gras festivities. Conceal your identity while you party a little too hard.

3. Parades

Photo Source: blog.dwtickets.com

Get there early, so you can secure the prime real estate to admire floats and marching bands and to catch the beads and other goodies.

4. Jazz

Photo Souce: shindigz.com

Jazz intertwines brass band marches, ragtime, and blues. Usually with little lyrics, these tunes will keep you upbeat all of Fat Tuesday.

5. Gumbo

Photo Source: hungryhappenings.com

Made using meats and seafoods, the gumbo symbolizez the mix of cultures that exist in southern Louisiana: primarily French, Spanish, and African. You'll need to eat the gumbo to soak up all of that alcohol!

6. King Cake

Photo Source: livlifetoo.yummly.com

King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition that's often more festive than it is tasty! A little plastic baby is put inside the frosted breaded cake, and the lucky person who lands the piece with the baby inside is supposed to provide the king cake the following year.

Will you be celebrating Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras this year? What are your traditions?

[Tirana]

I work on Bourbon St, lol. I hate Mardi Gras and the entire two weeks leading up to it. I also pretty much hate Bourbon St, at that. Its physically a disgusting mire of filth and disease, and the people that come here feel they can be idiots, and it irritates me. Then, when I'm told I need to drop the attitude and have fun as some dude is puking not one foot away from me, I really despise all of it. People really are stupid sometimes, especially when they're drinking.

Honestly, at 1130 pm on Lundi Gras after standing for 6 hours without a pee break taking orders from people who are demanding to know why we don't serve such and such, I don't give even a little bit of a fuck anymore. So, the fact that you are hungry and enjoying the debauchery does not mean I like you, want to be your friend, fuck you, or in any way care about how drunk you are. Order your food and go away so I can then clean up after your drunk, disgusting ass.

But I digress. Enjoy your Mardi Gras.

[Creole_Flavor]

You work on Rue Bourbon? Bless your heart lol I didn't go out there this year even though its not far I decided to stay put in BR. Too crowded especially on Bourbon and Canal you can't even move. I like to enjoy New Orleans on non-holidays unless I'm in a parade but you know certain areas are always popping year round.

[Tirana]

@Creole_Flavor

Yes indeed... nasty ol' Rue Bourbon. I had Saturday off, which was awesome, but I had to work Tuesday. Oy vey. I'm glad its over for another year.

[AleDeEurope]

I've never celebrated Mardi Gras, but I want to one day.

I just gonna add that the King Cake is something we eat in Spain on January 6, the last day of Christmas, and the day we receive presents from the Three Wisemen. Here, instead of a baby it's a king, and the one who gets it wins a paper crown xD There's also a bean, and the one who gets it pays the cake.

[Kinstrome]

I didn't end up going to Mardi Gras, although I planned to.

I live on the northshore, but I'm planning to get a job on Magazine St. or thereabout, so I won't be far from the culture.

[YourFutureEx]

I don't know about that culture/tradition but these pictures look very pretty. Seems like a festival. Is it?

[Creole_Flavor]

One word - Gumbo lol that is all my fam went to a parade Saturday I stayed home they brought nice beads back though. Yesterday it rained a lot so its pretty cold and wet out.

[KiaTate]

I've been to Mardi Gras once and I want to go again... so many beads and masks. 😊

[legalboxers]

Where are the pancakes? :) all good points!

[Gina1986]

Girls wear jeans less your a slut!!!